Athletics

VMI Announces 2022 Football Schedule

Six home games and the first meeting with Wake Forest since 1944 highlight the 2022 VMI football schedule.

The Keydets open the ’22 slate at Wake Forest Thursday, Sept. 1, marking the first time they have opened a season against a Power Five school since Ole Miss in 1996 and the first time against an ACC member institution since Virginia in 1985. The Keydets and Demon Deacons will be meeting for the first time since 1944, when both schools were members of the Southern Conference.

VMI returns home the following weekend, Sept. 10, to open a six-game home slate, with Bucknell visiting Lexington in a series that was last played in 2016. The Cornell Big Red visit the following weekend, Sept. 17, to close out the nonconference schedule.

Following a bye week, VMI opens the Southern Conference schedule Oct. 1 at Western Carolina, which starts an eight-game journey through the league that culminates with the Military Classic of the South against military college rival The Citadel Nov. 19.

VMI has not played six home games at Foster Stadium since the 2015 campaign.

2022 VMI FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Sept. 1 at Wake Forest Sept. 10 BUCKNELL Sept. 17 CORNELL Sept. 24 Open Oct. 1 at Western Carolina* Oct. 8 ETSU* Oct. 15 at Chattanooga* Oct. 22 FURMAN* Oct. 29 MERCER* Nov. 5 at Samford* Nov. 12 at Wofford* Nov. 19 THE CITADEL*

HOME GAMES IN CAPS * Denotes Southern Conference game

New Coaching Staff Highlights Fall 2022 Football Season

New faces in different places were the look of the 2022 VMI football coaching staff when spring practice kicked off March 24 at Fiorini Field.

All but two of the 12 position coaching assignments will have new names for the fall 2022 season.

Scott Wachenheim, head football coach, welcomed seven new coaches for his eighth season on post, and three returning assistants have significant new responsibilities in 2022.

The new arrivals are Nick Reveiz, defensive coordinator/linebackers; J.B. Lageman, defensive line; Bilal Marshall, wide receivers; Dino Waites, safeties; Greg Wood, specialists; Dylan Almond, defensive assistant; and Ben Housewright, offensive assistant.

Returning coaches moving to different assignments in 2022 are Pat Ashford, offensive coordinator from wide receivers; Bill Parker, cornerbacks from running backs; and Kendrick Scott, running backs from cornerbacks. Jack Abercrombie, offensive line coach, has added run game coordinator to his responsibilities, and Chris Moore, tight ends coach, will continue to coordinate specialist teams.

“The VMI football family has had the opportunity to bring several new coaching staff members to post. The positive energy and enthusiasm these coaches have brought [are] contagious,” said Wachenheim. “Our recent successes have also afforded us the opportunity to promote some current staff members to new positions. I am looking forward to seeing our team come together ... as we implement the new ideas these men bring to our program.”

Baseball Players Earn Postseason Honors

The VMI baseball team had several outstanding performances in the 2022 campaign. The Keydets won five of six games during the early portion of the season and swept a three-game series with Lafayette College to open the home schedule in Gray-Minor Stadium. VMI also won weekend series with The Citadel and Binghamton University.

Zac Morris ’23 and Tyler Kaltreider ’25 were honored by the Southern Conference after the regular season concluded.

Morris earned Second-Team All-Conference honors at second base by the league’s media members. The redshirt sophomore from Suffolk, Virginia, heated up at the plate in conference action, starting in 20 of 21 games. He hit .408 with five doubles and six home runs for a .711 slugging percentage. He drew 10 walks to help push his on-base percentage to .477, and he had team highs of 15 runs and 18 RBI. Kalteider, from Warrenton, Virginia, earned a spot on the coaches’ All-Freshman Team. The right-hander started once in each of the seven SoCon series, posting a 3-2 record with a 5.50 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 34 innings. He was a part of one combined shutout. Zac Morris ’23 was one of two Keydet baseball players receiving postseason honors.—Photo courtesy VMI Keydets.

Track and Field Enjoys Excellent 2022 Season

Trent Whittaker ’23 broke the 1,000m run (indoor) VMI record by completing the run in 2:24.31 at the VMI Winter Classic.—Photo courtesy VMI Keydets.

The VMI track and field teams turned in excellent performances throughout the 2022 indoor and outdoor seasons to add another chapter to a traditionally strong program.

Under Zack Scott, first-year head coach, the Keydet men placed third overall at both the indoor and outdoor SoCon Championships, and the women placed sixth overall at the indoor meet with 20.5 points. The VMI men logged 90 points at the SoCon Indoor Championships for third place and 123 points at the SoCon Outdoor Championships to take third overall.

Jordin Poindexter ’22, sprinter, was the highlight of the year for both the indoor and outdoor campaigns. He earned the Southern Conference’s Heath Whittle Award as the Male Most Outstanding Track Athlete following his performance at the SoCon Indoor Championships, where he came in first in the 60m with a career-best time of 6.74 seconds, as well as first place in the 200m in 21.41 seconds to earn All-Conference in both events. He also helped the 4x400 relay to a firstplace finish in 3:17.13 at the SoCon meet for All-SoCon honors.

During the outdoor season, Poindexter was named the SoCon Most Outstanding Track Performer for the second year in a row, following his performance at the SoCon Outdoor Championships. He placed first in the 100m in a career-best 10.27 seconds—a facility record and second-fastest all-time at VMI—before earning a career-best 20.89 seconds in the 200m (a new VMI record) to earn the individual title. The Richmond, Virginia, native was named SoCon Men’s Track Athlete of the Week April 6 following his performance at the Colonial Relays and then was later named the SoCon Men’s Track Athlete of the Month for the month of April.

Several program records were broken during both seasons, including a 40-year mark in the discus when Solomon Ghosh ’22 threw the discus 51.99m (170’6”) at the Mason Spring Invitational, breaking the prior record of 167’8” set by Tony Edwards ’82 in 1982.

Poindexter earned a 200-meter time of 20.89 seconds at the SoCon Outdoor Championships, a new VMI record that broke the time of 20.90 seconds from the 1991 season set by Mario Small ’91.

Trent Whittaker ’23 broke the 1,000m run (indoor) VMI record by completing the run in 2:24.31 at the VMI Winter Classic, besting the previous mark of 2:25.45 by Avery Martin ’16 in 2016.

On the women’s side, Eleyah Armstrong ’25 earned All-Conference honors in the 100-meter run at the SoCon Outdoor Championships by placing second overall in 11.83 seconds.

Winder ’19: No Shortcuts to Success

by Scott Belliveau ’83, Communications Officer

Josh Winder ’19 (right) poses for a photo with Casey Dykes, who was an assistant coach at VMI for a few years starting in 2015 and is now assistant hitting coach for the New York Yankees, at Target Field, the Twins’ home stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.—Photo courtesy Winder.

Josh Winder ’19, pitcher for the Minnesota Twins, follows a routine. Whether throwing or not, he is at the ballpark at least five hours before the first pitch. He spends three hours in the weight room and the training room. After that, he studies the information about opposing hitters and then warms up, throwing dozens of pitches.

Routine is nothing new for Winder, as it resembles what he did as a cadet-athlete. “Every day, I apply two big lessons I learned at VMI: Discipline and time management. The first gave me the willingness and ability to be comfortable in a Spartan environment. The second taught me how to maximize efficiency and to come to tasks—like game day preparation—with a plan and a purpose.”

Winder’s road to “The Show” started when he was 4 years old and joined the same team as his brother, who was a year older. “I was always playing up a year, and that helped in my development.” A Chicago Cubs fan growing up, he has a “vivid memory” of watching Kerry Wood, Cubs pitcher, throw a complete game, albeit on television.

Yet, for all the early exposure to the game, Winder says, “There never was a moment when I declared, ‘I’m going to be a ballplayer.’” He explained he never had “a spike in development” or “never dominated” as a pitcher. “I just kept working until one day I raised my head and realized I was at the mountaintop—and was drafted.”

Helping Winder were his coaches at VMI, including Jonathan Hadra ’04, current head coach, and Travis Beazley, VMI’s pitching coach. The staff—then led by Marlin Ikenberry ’95—had spotted Winder during his freshman year at James River High School in Midlothian, Virginia. It was at a baseball camp in the winter of Winder’s junior year when they made the decision to make him an offer. “He had started to grow,” said Hadra, “standing around 6-foot-2.”

Even more impressive, however, were his skills as a pitcher. “We were amazed at how clean his arm worked,” recalled Hadra. “He could repeat his motion time after time after

time; he had what in baseball is called ‘command.’”

Winder accepted VMI’s offer. Asked why he didn’t wait to field offers from bigger schools better known for baseball, he replied, “I wanted to go to a small school close to home. I wanted to go to a school with a strong academic program. I wanted to be involved with a good program. VMI checked all those boxes for me.”

Playing at VMI, he explained, also gave him playing time early in his college career. “If I had gone to a bigger school, I might not have thrown in a game until my junior or even senior year.” As it was, Winder was placed in the starting rotation in his rat year. “Getting those innings, getting those reps, accelerated my development.”

Hadra agreed, “Being able to pitch early allowed him to go through the learning curve early, and you can’t put a value on that experience.”

As impressed as he was by Winder’s pitching skills, Hadra was even more impressed by his attitude. “He was extremely mature and approached his work like a professional. That allowed Travis Beazley to coach him one-on-one. He was highly competitive, but he also was even keeled and took the ebbs and flows as they came.”

Of course, there were other “ebbs and flows” Winder encountered at VMI. “The experience of being a cadet-athlete is like being one of those carnival performers who keeps a bunch of plates spinning at once. You’re stretched in many different directions. You need to adapt and prioritize and become used to handling a lot.”

Winder apparently could handle a lot. He was an immediate success as a player, being named to the 2016 Southern Conference All-Freshman team after a season that saw him finish the year with a 4-4 record with a 4.80 earned run average. He built upon that record over the next two seasons, ending his college career with a 16-16 record, an ERA of 4.52, and 279 strikeouts.

He took every advantage of the Institute’s academic program. He had academic stars as an economics and business major, earning membership in the international economics honor society Omicron Delta Epsilon and Beta Gamma Sigma, an international business honor society. He also was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa, a prestigious national leadership honor society that recognizes students who display excellent leadership and strong character.

Hadra praised Winder’s leadership and character on the team. “He was a fantastic teammate, down-to-earth and humble. He was just one of the guys, even though he was the focus of a lot of outside attention.”

He also took a serious interest in the development of his teammates, especially the rats. “He taught them well,” said Hadra, “and by doing so, he has had an enduring impact on the team.”

In spring 2018, the Minnesota Twins selected him in the seventh round of the draft. Winder was the third-highest draft pick in school history and only the third VMI pitcher to be selected in a draft’s first 10 rounds.

When he accepted the Twins’ offer, he told them he was determined to finish his degree. “I got lucky,” Winder said. “I came to VMI with a semester worth of credits.” On Hadra’s advice, he took advantage of summer school

and worked with his professors to stay on track. So, in the spring semester of his 2nd Class year, he could take the courses he normally would have taken in his 1st Class spring semester. His decision to ask the dean’s permission to report late for the first semester—just in case— turned out to be a good one. His “rookie ball” team, the Elizabethton (Tennessee) Twins, won the 2018 Appalachian League championship. “Immediately after the game, I drove the five hours home, picked up my gear, and drove two hours to VMI, getting back about a week late.” Looking back, Winder is glad he made the effort to graduate. “I’ve met other players who left school just one semester short of graduation, and I’ve realized the longer you are away from school, your chances of finishing diminish significantly.” During the 2019 season, Winder played for the Single-A Cedar Rapids Kernels. The pandemic canceled the 2020 season, and Winder played for the Double-A Wichita Wind Surge and the Triple-AAA Saint Paul Saints in 2021. This spring, he made the Twins’ starting roster, first as a reliever and then as a starting pitcher. Asked what Winder on the mound for the Keydets during his cadetship.—Photo courtesy VMI he likes about life in Major Keydets. League Baseball, Winder laughed, “No more 10-hour bus drives when the team travels.” Besides the more comfortable travel, Winder said, “I come to know the guys in the clubhouse, many of whom have been playing for several years, a few more than a decade. Their widely different experiences have given them a lot of insights into the game, and they’re a great resource for young players.” Anything else he has liked? “Yes, the unbelievable support from the VMI family. It’s been cool to realize its members have embraced me, and I thank them for it.” Editor’s Note: Scan the QR code or visit vmialumni.org/arwinder to see more of Winder’s story.

Wilson Named Head Basketball Coach

On April 12, Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins ’85, superintendent, announced the hiring of Andrew Wilson to serve as the Institute’s 29th head basketball coach.

Wilson comes to VMI after spending the past two seasons as an assistant coach under Mark Byington at James Madison University, where he helped coach the Dukes to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in nearly a decade.

“I am excited about the energy and winning mindset that Coach Wilson will bring to our basketball program,” Wins said. “His strong record of growth and improvement is important for our program to continue to build on its recent successes. Andrew’s leadership and commitment to talent development will serve our cadet-athletes well both on and off the court.”

In his first season on staff, Wilson helped coach JMU to a Colonial Athletic Association regular-season title, a huge step up from its 9-21 mark during the 2019–20 season. This past season, the Dukes finished with a 15-14 mark that included a 9-2 start, a win over Virginia, and overcoming a 29-day pause due to COVID-19-related issues.

“Coach Wilson is ready to embrace the challenge of serving as a head coach at VMI,” said Jim Miller, VMI athletic director. “Andrew will represent VMI with dignity and embrace the unique mission of VMI. His previous coaching experience demonstrated his leadership ability and preparedness to lead our team.”

Wilson, who coordinated the Dukes’ defensive efforts, was responsible for leading the JMU defense to top 100 national marks in limiting opponents in field goal percentage, three-point percentage, turnover percentage, steals, and points per possession. The 2020–21 season marked JMU’s first No. 1 seed at the CAA tourney since 1992–93.

“I want to thank General Wins, Jim Miller, and Lenny Brown for this amazing opportunity,” Wilson said. “It’s an honor and privilege to lead the Keydet basketball program and build off the current team’s success. I am very excited to serve our current cadet-athletes and hit the ground running on the recruiting trail. VMI is a special place, and I look forward to embracing the many traditions of the Institute. My family and I are very excited to make the VMI post our home for many years to come.”

In 2021, Wilson was selected to participate in the prestigious TopConnect Basketball Andrew Wilson speaks to members of the basketball team in Cameron Hall.—VMI Photo by Kelly Nye.

Symposium (formerly Villa 7). The conference identifies the top assistant basketball coaches in the country and connects them with mid-major athletic directors, providing networking and leadership development opportunities.

Before arriving in Harrisonburg, Wilson served alongside Byington for seven seasons at Georgia Southern, including the final year as associate head coach. The pair led the Eagles to their first-ever postseason bid and three straight 20win campaigns in the final three years.

Georgia Southern racked up 13 all-conference selections, including Tookie Brown, who was the first Sun Belt Player of the Year in program history in 2019, an Honorable Mention All-American, and the first player in league history to take home four First Team All-Sun Belt nods. In addition, every senior to come through GSU’s program graduated during Wilson’s seven years in Statesboro.

The Eagles were one of 44 Division I programs in the country with 20-plus wins for three straight seasons and one of just 26 to win 10 or more league games in six straight. The program’s academic APR score also increased from 932 to 981 during Wilson’s seven years at Georgia Southern.

In June 2019, Wilson was selected to attend the Jay Bilas Coaches Leadership Program. The program was designed to identify and develop up-and-coming coaches who have the potential to be Division I college head coaches. The fourday leadership program in Charlotte, North Carolina, was limited to 12 coaches nationwide who have been recognized as rising stars in the profession as assistants.

Wilson spent six seasons as an assistant coach at College of Charleston under head coach Bobby Cremins before moving to Binghamton for the 2012–13 season. While at Charleston, Wilson coached alongside Byington as an assistant, and the pair helped lead the Cougars to an average of 22 wins a season, three postseason tournament appearances, three Southern Conference title game appearances, four 20-win seasons, the 2011 Southern Conference regular-season title, and the program’s first NBA Draft pick in 14 years when the Los Angeles Lakers selected guard Andrew Goudelock.

Wilson played parts of six seasons at Florida State (2000–06) after suffering multiple injuries that led to two consecutive medical redshirts. Wilson became a three-year starter under head coach Leonard Hamilton and helped lead a resurgence of the Seminole basketball program. He became the first student-athlete in ACC history to play in six different seasons and became FSU’s all-time leader in games played. As a senior captain in 2005–06, he helped lead the Seminoles to their first 20-win season in nearly a decade, finished second in the country in three-point field goal percentage, and became the first player in program history to hit at least seven three-pointers in multiple ACC games.

Wilson was also a standout in the classroom during his career at FSU. He earned a master’s degree in sports administration and was named to the All-ACC Academic Basketball Team three times and the ACC Academic Honor Roll five times.

A 2000 graduate of Harrison High School in the metro Atlanta area, Wilson was a two-time, first-team all-state honoree and was the school’s all-time scoring leader upon graduation. He was elected to the Harrison High School Hall of Fame in 2015. Wilson was the 2000 Cobb County TipOff Club Player of the Year and was named to The Atlanta Tipoff Club Metro Atlanta Boys Prep Team.

Wilson and his wife, Lisa, are the proud parents of three children: Cate (12), Mackenzi (9), and Knox (3).

Water Polo Cadet-Athletes Achieve in the Pool and in the Classroom

The VMI women’s water polo team had several cadet-athletes achieve major accomplishments in the 2022 season.

Genevieve Petrassi ’22 netted eight goals in a match in late February at Grove City College, the second-most in school history. She totaled seven steals in a match the same day against Washington & Jefferson, both Keydet victories.

Sydney Shettleroe ’23 set the school record with eight drawn exclusions against Iona, the most in program history for a single match.

Ellie Pickford ’24 (biology), Makenna Moore ’22 (mechanical engineering), Caragh Osborne ’24 (psychology), Petrassi (chemistry), Katelynn Riley ’23 (modern languages and cultures), and Maddie Berry ’22 (biology) each earned spots on the 2022 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Women’s Water Polo All-Academic Team. The six were part of the 11-player team, the only VMI sport to take part in MAAC competition as an associate member. To be eligible for the MAAC All-Academic Team, a student-athlete must complete two semesters at their institution and hold a cumulative grade-point average of 3.20 on a 4.0 scale.

Genevieve Petrassi ’22 netted eight goals in a match in late February at Grove City College, the second-most in school history.—Photo courtesy VMI Keydets.

Lacrosse Team Makes First Appearance at SoCon Tournament

The VMI lacrosse team continued to make huge strides as a program throughout the 2022 season.

In his second season at the helm, James Purpura, head lacrosse coach, led VMI to several program firsts. With the Keydets’ 13-10 victory over Mercer April 2, VMI won its first conference game in eight years and its first Southern Conference win in program history (VMI joined the SoCon in 2015). VMI last won a league game as a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference during the 2014 campaign. The win over Mercer was VMI’s first win at home in three seasons

James Purpura, head coach, led VMI lacrosse to its first-ever Southern Conference Tournament appearance in spring 2021.—Photo courtesy VMI Keydets. and first over the Bears since the 2012 season.

With the win over Mercer coupled with a victory over new SoCon member Hampton April 23, the Keydets qualified for the SoCon Tournament for the first time in program history. Although VMI ultimately fell by a 13-5 score to nationally ranked No. 11 Jacksonville, the game was significant for the program in that it marked just the second time in the program’s 39 -year history of qualifying for a postseason tournament. VMI last played in a postseason tourney at the 2008 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament.

The Keydets earned a hard-fought 8-7 win over Mount St. Mary’s on the road March 4 to mark their first win over The Mount in 17 years.

After the regular season, Hartley Jordan ’23, midfielder, was named First Team All-Southern Conference and Luke Rusterucci ’25, attacker, was named to the SoCon All-Freshman Team.

Jordan ranked fourth in the SoCon in shots per game at 8.07 and finished second on the team in both goals (25) and shots (121) and third in points (36) and assists (11). For his efforts, he was named the program’s Offensive Player of the Year.

Rusterucci finished fourth in the SoCon in assists per game at 1.53 and ranked first on the team in assists (23—tied for 10th all-time at VMI for a single season), second in points (39), and third in goals (16). Named the team’s Rookie of the Year, he logged 30 groundballs for the season, and his 11 conference game assists rank tied for fifth in a single season at VMI.

The Keydets improved in nearly every statistic throughout the course of the season (goals for, goals against, EMO, clearing, face-off, save percentage).

For the breakout season, Purpura was named head coach of the South Team at the 2022 USILA North/South Senior All-Star Game contested Memorial Day weekend in Providence, Rhode Island.